PROSCIUTTOOO!! not Prosciuuh!

I drove to Via Roma Gourmet today, we do that when we are lazy and don't want to cook on Sundays, so we buy all sorts of authentic Italian cold cuts and other little things that remind us of SAO PAULO :)
Via Roma Gourmet Bakery is on the Federal Hill part of Providence, Rhode Island, where the best Restaurants, Bakery's and authentic anything Italian can be found in New England.

VIA ROMA



Mortadella, Salame, Snail Salad, SUPER HARD AWESOME ITALIAN BREAD and TORRONE FROM MILAN



Sweet Cappocollo Dry Imported from Italy!



Friuli Sweet Sopressata from Italy, delicious!



Mortadella, a favorite at the Mercado Municipal in Sao Paulo, also popular among Italian Americans



We bought the desserts at Antonio's Italian Bakery near our house!


There are about 5 great Italian Bakeries on the Federal Hill area of Providence and many more scatted all over New England, but I like Roma better because the owner and his son, both Italians (from Italy), work at the Bakery all the time and they speak MY language, not the Italian American's new created language.
Let me explain what I mean by that, I mean my language both figuratively and literally.
In Sao Paulo and Italy we pronounce MOZZARELLA, PROSCIUTTO and not Muzzarel or Prociu like some Italian Americans do, it sounds like the person just got punched in the stomach midway into pronouncing PROSCIUTTO, so they only say PROSCIUUH! OUCH! What, did someone just punched you in the gut? What the hell, finish the freaking WORD!!!.
So, at Via Roma, we ask for MOZZARELLA or PROSCIUTTO and we are instantly understood by the REAL authentic ITALIANS from Italy who own and run the place. They even tell us these descendants of Italian immigrants changed everything and make up words as they go...or as they forget how their parents used to pronounce the mother land's tongue.
I thought it was really cool when he told me around Christmas that the BEST PANETONNE in the WHOLE WORLD is BAUDUCCO, MADE IN SAO PAULO, BRAZIL. Hey, if Italians are saying that I give even more credit to BAUDUCCO and off course ROMA carries BAUDUCCO PANETONNE and many other BAUDUCCO products.
We connect in so many levels...We ask for Bialetti parts and they know right away that we are talking about the popular stove top coffee maker Bialetti, sometimes we need a replacement rubber seal, sometimes it's a new aluminum filter. They sell the parts!!!! AWESOME!


Bialetti rubber seal and aluminum filter

Traditional Bialetti stove top coffee makers, like my mother's and very common in Sao Paulo



New Bialetti stove top Latte maker, milk on top coffee on the bottom! AWESOME!



New Bialetti electric Latte maker, on top of mine and Gil's "really, really want" list :)

I just recently found out watching "The Joy Behar Show" that Italians from New Jersey don't pronounce the end of many Italian words, but New Yorker Italians DO as well as PAULISTANOS, other Brazilians and Italians off course.
We have always been irritated to no end when I hear MUZZARELL instead of MOZZARELLA and PROSCIUUH instead of PROSCIUTTO, they cut the A from Mozzarella and the TTO from Prosciutto, I swear I feel like slapping people in the back of their heads to see if the end of these words will come out :)
To add insult to injury, these frigging idiots folks pronounce Italian words wrong and correct us when we pronounce it correctly, and sometimes, they just don't understand us, or pretend not to understand us when we ask for MOZZARELLA!!!!! or PROSCIUTTOOOOO!!!! UGH!!!
Federal Hill is the area of Providence, Rhode Island considered our Little Italy.



This giant sized pineapple will welcome you into the Federal Hill area of Providence, Rhode Island


HERE is a little bit more information about Providence's Little Italy area, Federal Hill. There are over 100 great restaurants all over the area, we go there for all the great Italian Bakeries, Markets and Pastries.
Folks, this is a totally different country, it almost fells like you are outside of the US, different culture, different people, at the same time that they are the core of America as we know if, New England is very, very different, from the small details to the larger details of life. From food to gay marriage.
Classic Example:

Antonelli's where you can buy live poultry and have it butchered right in front of you :(

You pick your live chicken, turkey, goose, duck, fowl or rabbit and they "prepare" it for you to take it home for dinner :(

Scialo Bros is another cool Authentic Italian Bakery at the Federal Hill Area of Providence, HERE you can take a peak at some pictures of the great stuff they have been making at Scialo's for almost 100 years.
Venda Ravioli is another AWESOME Italian place, more like a small gourmet grocery store with a great little Italian restaurant attached to it called Constantino's. HERE you can see pictures and even things they sell at Venda Ravioli and Constantino's, it's actually all in the same place, same owners.



Constantino's/Venda Ravioli at the heart of Federal Hill

 

They have a Butcher section that sells noble cuts of meats


We like they fresh pasta, made daily right on site and their fresh Italian bread that fly off the shelves before you can pronounce PROSCIUTTO!!!! They correct way off course :)
Pastiche is a GREAT little place for Desserts and COFFEE only. They don't serve anything besides sweet pastries and coffee, lattes, teas and cappuccinos. The place is super charming with a huge fire place that is always on full blast, it's small and always crowded, great for those super cold snow days. Super friendly staff. It is on the expensive side, but totally worth it. HERE is a link to Pastiche Fine Desserts.

Pastries to die for in Providence, Rhode Island :)

If you are ever around New England, you HAVE to stop in Providence and visit these super tradition AWESOME Italian places, you can't get any more New Englander than the Federal Hill in Providence.



Petunias explosion at De Pasquale square on the Federal Hill in Providence

 Tony's Colonial is another great little Italian gourmet grocery store with a great selection of great Italian foods.

Great Tony's Colonial on the Federal Hill in Providence

Inside Tony's Colonial, a great variety of great Italian cheeses 

If you are ever in the area DO NOT miss this gem little area of New England and enjoy the authentic flavors of Italy, Providence is only one stop north ( 2 and a half hours north ) of New York city on the Accela Express Amtrak train, a must visit destination.


Ray